22 [ Senate 



licports with eagerness. In 1850, as I entered the Woodwardian 

 Museum in the Univerity of Cambridge in England, I found Prof. 

 M'CoY busy with a collection of Silurian fossils before him, which 

 he was studying with Hall's first volume of Palaeontology as his 

 guide ; and in the splendid volumes entitled British PalcBozoic 

 Rocks and Fossils, which appeared last year as the result of those 

 researches, I find Prof. Hall denominated " the great American 

 palaeontologist." I tell you, Sir, that this survey has given New- 

 York a reputation throughout the learned world, of which she 

 may well be proud. Am I told that it will probably cost more than 

 half a million'? Very well : the larger the sum, the higher will 

 be the reputation of the people of New-York for liberality ; and 

 what other half million expended in our country has developed 

 so many new facts, or thrown so much light upon the early history 

 of the globe, or won so world-wide and enviable a reputation? 



Allow me to add, that I have taken a deeper interest in this 

 survey, because I was offered a commission by Governor Marcy 

 to explore the first district, which I accepted, and actually entered 

 upon the work; but the magnitude of the undertaking, and a 

 poor state of health, led me early to resign, and leave the place 

 to be filled by Prof. Mather. I confess, also, that I had a strong 

 Lope that I might have an opportunity to resurvey Massachusetts ; 

 and finding Governor Everett in the chair of state, I offered my 

 services anew ; and through his recommendation, always ready to 

 be given for the promotion of learning, I obtained a new commis- 

 sion, and went over ground a second time, which I would gladly 

 survey again, did life and health allow. Geologists who enter upon 

 such a work with all the facilities now within their reach, can form 

 but a faint idea of the difficulties we encountered who were early 

 in the field. 



In regard to this matter of geological surveys, I can hardly avoid 

 making a suggestion here. So large a portion of our country has 

 now been exanjined more or less- thoroughly by the several State 

 Governments, that it does seem to me the time has come when the 

 National Government should order a Survey, geological, zoological 

 and botanical, of the whole country, on such a liberal and tliorough 

 plan as the surveys in Great Eritain and Austria are now conducted 

 upon ; it being understood in the latter country, that at least 



